Revitalise Manly - Manly2015 Masterplan

Please note below is historical content last updated in May 2016. The two Car Park projects proved to be very contraversial and divided the Manly Community.

The administrator of the new Council subsequently decided not to proceed with the Oval Car park, and a full settlement with the tenderer (Abergeldie) to terminate this project was negotiated. This was reported to be the initial contract payment of $200,000 with a cancellation fee $580,000. Thus the oval is no longer under threat.

The situation on the Whistler Street Triangle redevelopment is more complex. The proponent (Built Athas) is reported to be seeking $75 million from Council as settlement to exit the original project. Despite significant tender probity concerns, the parties are proceding toward airing the matter in court.

Beyond the Mk3 Manly2015 pages from mid-2015 below, you can also view the archived, originally stand-alone, Mk2/Mk1 Manly2015 web-site pages from 2011-2015. These have additional material and show the evolutionary progress of the Manly2015 scheme over time.

Manly Council has named the successful tenders for two key projects central to the Manly2015 vision of revitalising the Manly CBD:

Redevelopment of the Whistler Street Village Centre and Library site, by Built Development Group and Athas Holdings.

Design and construction of the 500 space underground carpark at Manly Oval, by Abergeldie Complex Infrastructure.

Introducing Manly's Village Centre at Whistler Street

The revitalised Village Centre will relocate the existing car parking to under Manly Oval to create a new pedestrianised Village Centre for residents, visitors and businesses. Featuring a new light-filled top floor library with outdoor rooftop gardens, a cinema and multi-purpose community spaces, the complex will be expanded to offer more library, learning and lifestyle programs.

The redevelopment will fund a new modern carpark under Manly Oval without the need for a long term loan. And, the revitalised Village Centre will remain in council ownership!

The Manly2015 Masterplan is a win-win for Manly!

The tenders accepted by Council to complete the Manly2015 project will see the new carpark built by Albergeldie Complex Infrastructure for $27.8 million, an amount easily covered by an up-front cash payment by Built Development Group and Athas Holdings of $37.5 million for a 99-year lease on the Whistler Street carpark development site.

The scope of the mixed-use redevelopment of the Whistler Street site under the 99 year lease incorporates:

The long-term 99-year leasing of the Whistler Street site for Built Development Group and Athas Holdings is ‘inter-generationally equitable’ because, while its value can be released by the up-front payment of rent, the entire site will remain in public ownership.

The transformation of the Whistler Street site and the larger carpark under Manly Oval will deliver exponential economic gains to local retail, commercial and community stakeholders.

The Manly2015 Masterplan, by focusing on mixed-use redevelopment of the Whistler Street car park and associated sites, will not only address the growing demand for retail in Manly, but the new underground carpark that replaces the old Whistler Street carpark could attract up to $15 million of retail expenditure per year to the Manly CBD, or $300 million in 2013 dollars over 20 years.

Watch a flythrough video of the Village Centre, Manly Library redevelopment

The Spirit of Whistler Street Village will be a Pedestrian Hub

As Manly shifts to a largely pedestrianised CBD, streetside furniture and planting, room for prams, bikes and wheelchairs will give a sense of reprive from the busy Corso. Shopping and leisure will create jobs and inject more money into the local economy, driving social outcomes, community and culture to the Village Centre.

Cycle Friendly - Whistler Street Village will de-prioritise cars and elevate cycling as a mode of transit through the provision of attractive and safe bike lock-ups,along with a freely available cycle fix-it station where running repairs and air for tyres is provided.

The Whistler Street Strip - The Whistler Street side of the development will remain a retail strip offering a range of lifestyle products such as boutique fashion and beautyand the occasional café.

Village Square is Family-Friendly - A mix of outdoor to indoor spaces on the ground floor Village Square will support varied trade which is laidback,affordable, family friendly and ideally suited to local operators.

Market Lane - Defined by it’s fine grain retail spaces, Market Lane will be enhanced with Whistler Street Village’s positive new edge to keepit vibrant. A balance of cafes, small wine bars and pockets of lifestyle retail will fill a gap in the rapidly expanding food, lifestyle and beverage industry sector.

Boutique Cinema will fill a Cultural Gap in Manly

To meet a defined cultural gap in Manly, the new Library will offer a small-scale cinema/theatre of around 80 seats in the foot of the building. This means, Manly will not only receive a unique new cultural offer, but also a high quality addition to the food and beverage landscape with a cinema café and wine bar.

Welcome to Manly Oval Carpark - A Modern Underground Parking System

Funded by the redevelopment of the Whistler Street Village Centre, without the need for a long term loan, the new carpark will meet Manly’s future parking demand until 2031.

Manly will welcome a new 500 space carpark that will be modern, secure and user-friendly.The efficient and space-saving engineered design will be hidden away from passers-by, cleverly tucked away underneath a First Grade Oval.

Manly Oval will remain open as green public space and a first grade sports field with the 500 space carpark beneath the playing surface.

The design features a variety of ticketless technologies to help motorists find unoccupied parking spaces quickly and improve user experience.

Conveniently located opposite the Whistler Street Village Centre, the carpark is completely walkable to the centre of town, and will serve as a park and ride hub for public transitand secure bike parking.

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